Post by Admin on Oct 18, 2023 15:26:58 GMT -5
Directions for the Government of the Ear
Direct. I. 'Employ your ears in the duties which they were made for:and to that end understand those duties.' Which are as followeth:
1.To be the organ of reception of such communications from others, as are necessary for our converse in the world, and the duties of ourseveral relations and vocations.
2. To hear the Word of God delivered publicly by his appointed teachers of the church.
3. To hear the counsel of those that privately advise us for our good; and the reproofs of those that tell us of our sin and danger.
4. To hear the praises of God set forth by his church in public, and particular servants in private.
5. To hear from our ancestors and the learned in history, what hath been done in the times before us.
6. To hear the complaints and petitions of the poor, and needy, and distressed, thatwe may compassionate them and endeavour their relief.
7. To be the passage for grief and hatred to our hearts, by the sinful words which we hear unwillingly.
Direct. II. 'Know which are the sins of the ear that you may avoid them.' And they are such as follow:
1. A careless ear, which heareth the Word of God, and the private exhortations of his servants, as if it heard them not.
2. A sottish, sleepy ear, that heareth the Word of God but as a confused sound, and understandeth not, nor feeleth what is heard.
3. A scornful ear, which despiseth the message of God, and the reproofs and counsel of men, and scorneth to be reproved or taught.
4. An obstinate, stubborn ear, which regardeth not advice or will not yield.
5. A profane and impious ear, which loveth to hear oaths, and curses, and profane, and blasphemous expressions.
6. A carnal ear which loveth to hear of fleshly things, but savoureth not the words which savour of holiness.
7. An airy, hypocritical ear, which loveth more the music and melody, than the sense and spiritual elevation of the soul to God; and regards more the numbers, and composure, and tone, than the matter of preaching, prayer, or other such duties; and serves God with the ear, when the heart is far from him.
8. A curious ear, which nauseate the most profitable sermons, prayers, or discourses, if they be not accurately ordered and expressed; and slighted or loses the offered benefit, for a (modal) imperfection in the offer, or the instrument! and casteth away all the gold because a piece or two did catch a little rust: and perhaps quarreled with the style of the sacred Scriptures, as not exact or fine enough for its expectations.
9. An itching ear, which runs after novelties, and a heap of teachers, and liketh something extraordinary, better than things necessary.
10. A selfish ear, which loveth to hear all that tends to the confirmation of its own conceits, and to be flattered or smoothed up by others, and can endure nothing that is cross to its opinions.
11. A proud ear which loveth it own applause, and is much pleased with its own praises, and hated all that speak of him with mean, undervaluing words.
12. A peevish, impatient ear which is nettled with almost all it heareth; and can endure none but silken words, which are oiled and sugared, and fitted by flattery or the lowest submission, to their froward minds: and is so hard
to be pleased that none but graduates in the art of pleasing can perform it.
13. A bold, presumptuous ear, which will hear false teachers and deceivers in a proud conceit, and confidence of their own abilities, to discern what is true and what is false.
14. An ungodly ear, that can easily hear the reproach of holiness, and scorns at the servants and ways of Christ.
15. A neutral, indifferent ear, that heareth either good or evil, without much love or hatred, but with a dull and cold indifferency.
16. A dissembling, temporizing ear, which can complyingly hear one side speak for holiness, and the other speak against it, and suit itself to the company and discourse it meets with.
17. An uncharitable ear, which can willingly hear the censures, backbiting's, slanders, reviling's, that are used against others, yea against the best.
18. An unnatural ear, which can easily and willingly hear the dishonor of their parents, or other near relations, if any carnal interest do but engage them against their honor.
19. A rebellious, disobedient ear, which hearkened not to the just commands of magistrates, parents, masters, and other governors, but hearkened with more pleasure to the words of seditious persons that dishonor them.
20. A filthy, unclean, and adulterous ear, which loveth to hear filthy, ribald speeches, and love-songs, and romances, and lascivious plays, and the talk of wanton lust and dalliance.
21. A self-provoking ear, that hearkened after all that others say against them, which may kindle hatred, or dislike, or passion, in them.
22. A busy, meddling ear, which loveth to hear of other men's faults, or matters which concern them not, and to hearken to tattlers, and carry-tales, and make-bates, and to have to do with evil reports.
23.A timorous, cowardly, unbelieving ear, which trembled at every threatening of man, though in a cause which is God's, and he hath promised to justify.
24. An idle ear, which can hearken to idle, time wasting talk, and make the sins of tattlers your own. All these ways(and more) you are in danger of sinning by the ear, and coming partakers in the sins of all whose sinful words you hear, and of turning into sin the words of God, and his servants, which are spoken for your good.
Direct. III. 'Know when the hearing of evil, and not hearing good is your sin:' that is,
1. When it is not out of any imposed necessity, but of your voluntary choice: and when you might avoid it upon lawful terms, without a greater hurt, and will not.
2. When you hate not the evil, which you are necessitated to hear, and love not the good which through necessity you cannot hear; but your hearts comply with your necessities.
3. When you shew not so much disowning and dislike of the evil which you hear, as you might do, without an inconvenience greater than the benefit; but make it your own by sinful silence or compliance.
4. When you are presumptuous and fearless of your danger.
Direct. IV. 'Know wherein the danger of such sinful hearing lieth.' As
1. in displeasing God, who loveth not to hear his children hearken to those that are abasing him, nor to see them playing too boldly about fire or water, nor to touch any stinking or defiling thing, but calls to them, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you."
2.It is dangerous to your fantasy and memory, which quickly received hurtful impressions by what you hear: if you should hear provoking words, even against your wills, yet it is hard to escape the receiving some hurtful impression by them: and if you hear lascivious, filthy words against your wills (much more if willingly) it is two to one but they leave some thoughts in your minds which may gender unto further sin. And it is dangerous to your passions and affections, lest they catch fire before you are aware. And it is dangerous to your understandings lest they be perverted and seduced: and to your wills lest they be turned after evil, and turned away from good; and alas! how quickly is all this done.
3. It is dangerous to the speaker, lest your voluntary hearing encourage him in his sin, and hinder his repentance.
4. And it is dishonorable to God and godliness.
Direct. V. 'Do your best to live in such company where you shall hear that which is good and edifying, and to escape that company whose conference is hurtful and corrupt.' Run not yourselves into this temptation: be sure you have a call, and your call must be discerned,
1. By your office or place; whether any duty of your office or relation bind you to be there.
2. By your ends: whether you be there as a physician to do them good, (as Christ went among sinners) or to do the work of your proper calling: or whether you are there out of a carnal, man-pleasing or temporizing humor?
3. By the measure of your abilities to attain those ends.
4. By the measure of your danger to receive the infection.
5. By the quality of your company, and the probability of good or evil in the event.
Direct. VI. 'When you are called into ill company, go fortified with defensive and offensive arms, as foreseeing what danger or duty you are like to be cast upon.' Foresee what discourse you are like to hear, and accordingly prepare yourselves: let your first preparation be to preserve yourselves from the hurt, and your next preparation to confute the evil, and convince the sinful speaker, or at least to preserve the endangered hearers, if you have ability, and opportunity. If you are to hear a seducing heretical teacher, there is one kind of preparation to be made: if you are to hear a beastly, filthy talker, there is another kind of preparation to be made. If you are to hear a cunning pharisee, or malignant enemy of godliness, reproach, or cavil, or wrangle against the Scriptures, or the ways of God, there is anther kind of preparation to be made: if you are to hear but the senseless scorns, or railings and bawling's of ignorant, profane, and sensual sots, there is another kind of preparation to be made: to give you particular directions for your preparations against every such danger would make my work too tedious. But remember how much lieth upon your own preparations or unpreparedness.
Direct. VII.'Be not sinfully wanting in good discourse yourselves, if you would not be ensnared by bad discourse from others. 'Your good discourse may prevent, or divert, or shame, or disappoint their evil discourse. Turn the stream another way; and do it wisely, that you expose not yourselves and your cause to scorn and laughter: and do it with such zeal as the cause required that you be not borne down by their greater zeal in evil. And where it is unfit for you to speak, if it may be,let your countenance or departure signify your dislike and sorrow.
Direct. VIII.Especially labor to mortify those sins, which the unavoidable discourse of your company doth most tempt you to:that where the devil doth most to hurt you, you may there do most in your own defense.' Doth the talk which you hear tend most to heresy, seduction, or to turn you from the truth? Study the more to be established in the truth: read more books for it; and hear more that is said by wise and godly men against the error which you are tempted to. Is it to profaneness or dislike of a holy life, that your company tempt you? Address yourselves the more to God, and give up yourselves to holiness, and let your study and practice be such as tend to keep your souls in relish with holiness, and hatred of sin. Is it pride that their applauding discourse doth tempt you to? Study the more the doctrine of humiliation. Is it lust that they provoke you to, or is it drunkenness, gluttony, sinful recreations, or excesses? Labour the more in the work of mortification and keep the strictest guard where they assault you.
Direct. IX. 'Be not unacquainted with the particular weaknesses and dangers of your own hearts, or any of your sinful inclinations:' that when you know where the wall is weakest, you may there make the best defense. That wanton word will set a wanton heart on fire, which a sober mind doth hear with pity as a bedlam kind of speech. A peevish, passionate heart is presently disturbed and kindled, with those words which are scarce observed by a well-composed soul.
Direct. X. 'Hear every sinful word as dictated by the devil; and suppose you saw him, all the while at the speaker's elbow, putting each word into his mouth, and telling him what to say.' For it is as verily the devil that doth suggest them all, as if you saw him: suppose you saw him behind the railer, hissing him on, as boys do dogs in fighting, and bidding him, 'Call him thus or thus:' suppose you saw him at the malignant's ear, bidding him, revile a holy life, and speak evil of the ways and servants of the Lord: suppose you saw him behind the wanton, bidding him use such ribald talk, or on the stage suggesting it to the actors; or at the ear of those that would provoke you to passion, to tell them what to say against you: this just supposition would much preserve you.
Direct. XI. 'Suppose you heard the end annexed to every speech.' As when you hear one tempting you to lust, suppose he said, 'Come, let us take our pleasures awhile, and be damned for ever:' so also in every word that tempted you to any other sin; if the tempter put in the sin, do you put in God's wrath and hell, and separate not that which God hath adjoined, but with the serpent see the sting.
Direct. XII. 'Observe when the infection first seizeth on you, and presently take an antidote to expel it, if you love your souls.' The signs of infection are,
1. When your zeal abates, and you grow more indifferent what you hear.
2. Next you will feel some little inclination to it.
3. Next you will a little venture upon an imitation.
4. And lastly, you will come to a full consent, and so to ruin. If you feel but a remitting of your dislike and hatred, or any filth or tincture left on your thoughts and fantasy, go presently and shake them off; bewail it to God in true repentance, and wash your souls in the blood of Christ, and cast up the poison by holy resolutions, and sweat out the remnant by the fervent exercises of love and holiness.
Direct. I. 'Employ your ears in the duties which they were made for:and to that end understand those duties.' Which are as followeth:
1.To be the organ of reception of such communications from others, as are necessary for our converse in the world, and the duties of ourseveral relations and vocations.
2. To hear the Word of God delivered publicly by his appointed teachers of the church.
3. To hear the counsel of those that privately advise us for our good; and the reproofs of those that tell us of our sin and danger.
4. To hear the praises of God set forth by his church in public, and particular servants in private.
5. To hear from our ancestors and the learned in history, what hath been done in the times before us.
6. To hear the complaints and petitions of the poor, and needy, and distressed, thatwe may compassionate them and endeavour their relief.
7. To be the passage for grief and hatred to our hearts, by the sinful words which we hear unwillingly.
Direct. II. 'Know which are the sins of the ear that you may avoid them.' And they are such as follow:
1. A careless ear, which heareth the Word of God, and the private exhortations of his servants, as if it heard them not.
2. A sottish, sleepy ear, that heareth the Word of God but as a confused sound, and understandeth not, nor feeleth what is heard.
3. A scornful ear, which despiseth the message of God, and the reproofs and counsel of men, and scorneth to be reproved or taught.
4. An obstinate, stubborn ear, which regardeth not advice or will not yield.
5. A profane and impious ear, which loveth to hear oaths, and curses, and profane, and blasphemous expressions.
6. A carnal ear which loveth to hear of fleshly things, but savoureth not the words which savour of holiness.
7. An airy, hypocritical ear, which loveth more the music and melody, than the sense and spiritual elevation of the soul to God; and regards more the numbers, and composure, and tone, than the matter of preaching, prayer, or other such duties; and serves God with the ear, when the heart is far from him.
8. A curious ear, which nauseate the most profitable sermons, prayers, or discourses, if they be not accurately ordered and expressed; and slighted or loses the offered benefit, for a (modal) imperfection in the offer, or the instrument! and casteth away all the gold because a piece or two did catch a little rust: and perhaps quarreled with the style of the sacred Scriptures, as not exact or fine enough for its expectations.
9. An itching ear, which runs after novelties, and a heap of teachers, and liketh something extraordinary, better than things necessary.
10. A selfish ear, which loveth to hear all that tends to the confirmation of its own conceits, and to be flattered or smoothed up by others, and can endure nothing that is cross to its opinions.
11. A proud ear which loveth it own applause, and is much pleased with its own praises, and hated all that speak of him with mean, undervaluing words.
12. A peevish, impatient ear which is nettled with almost all it heareth; and can endure none but silken words, which are oiled and sugared, and fitted by flattery or the lowest submission, to their froward minds: and is so hard
to be pleased that none but graduates in the art of pleasing can perform it.
13. A bold, presumptuous ear, which will hear false teachers and deceivers in a proud conceit, and confidence of their own abilities, to discern what is true and what is false.
14. An ungodly ear, that can easily hear the reproach of holiness, and scorns at the servants and ways of Christ.
15. A neutral, indifferent ear, that heareth either good or evil, without much love or hatred, but with a dull and cold indifferency.
16. A dissembling, temporizing ear, which can complyingly hear one side speak for holiness, and the other speak against it, and suit itself to the company and discourse it meets with.
17. An uncharitable ear, which can willingly hear the censures, backbiting's, slanders, reviling's, that are used against others, yea against the best.
18. An unnatural ear, which can easily and willingly hear the dishonor of their parents, or other near relations, if any carnal interest do but engage them against their honor.
19. A rebellious, disobedient ear, which hearkened not to the just commands of magistrates, parents, masters, and other governors, but hearkened with more pleasure to the words of seditious persons that dishonor them.
20. A filthy, unclean, and adulterous ear, which loveth to hear filthy, ribald speeches, and love-songs, and romances, and lascivious plays, and the talk of wanton lust and dalliance.
21. A self-provoking ear, that hearkened after all that others say against them, which may kindle hatred, or dislike, or passion, in them.
22. A busy, meddling ear, which loveth to hear of other men's faults, or matters which concern them not, and to hearken to tattlers, and carry-tales, and make-bates, and to have to do with evil reports.
23.A timorous, cowardly, unbelieving ear, which trembled at every threatening of man, though in a cause which is God's, and he hath promised to justify.
24. An idle ear, which can hearken to idle, time wasting talk, and make the sins of tattlers your own. All these ways(and more) you are in danger of sinning by the ear, and coming partakers in the sins of all whose sinful words you hear, and of turning into sin the words of God, and his servants, which are spoken for your good.
Direct. III. 'Know when the hearing of evil, and not hearing good is your sin:' that is,
1. When it is not out of any imposed necessity, but of your voluntary choice: and when you might avoid it upon lawful terms, without a greater hurt, and will not.
2. When you hate not the evil, which you are necessitated to hear, and love not the good which through necessity you cannot hear; but your hearts comply with your necessities.
3. When you shew not so much disowning and dislike of the evil which you hear, as you might do, without an inconvenience greater than the benefit; but make it your own by sinful silence or compliance.
4. When you are presumptuous and fearless of your danger.
Direct. IV. 'Know wherein the danger of such sinful hearing lieth.' As
1. in displeasing God, who loveth not to hear his children hearken to those that are abasing him, nor to see them playing too boldly about fire or water, nor to touch any stinking or defiling thing, but calls to them, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you."
2.It is dangerous to your fantasy and memory, which quickly received hurtful impressions by what you hear: if you should hear provoking words, even against your wills, yet it is hard to escape the receiving some hurtful impression by them: and if you hear lascivious, filthy words against your wills (much more if willingly) it is two to one but they leave some thoughts in your minds which may gender unto further sin. And it is dangerous to your passions and affections, lest they catch fire before you are aware. And it is dangerous to your understandings lest they be perverted and seduced: and to your wills lest they be turned after evil, and turned away from good; and alas! how quickly is all this done.
3. It is dangerous to the speaker, lest your voluntary hearing encourage him in his sin, and hinder his repentance.
4. And it is dishonorable to God and godliness.
Direct. V. 'Do your best to live in such company where you shall hear that which is good and edifying, and to escape that company whose conference is hurtful and corrupt.' Run not yourselves into this temptation: be sure you have a call, and your call must be discerned,
1. By your office or place; whether any duty of your office or relation bind you to be there.
2. By your ends: whether you be there as a physician to do them good, (as Christ went among sinners) or to do the work of your proper calling: or whether you are there out of a carnal, man-pleasing or temporizing humor?
3. By the measure of your abilities to attain those ends.
4. By the measure of your danger to receive the infection.
5. By the quality of your company, and the probability of good or evil in the event.
Direct. VI. 'When you are called into ill company, go fortified with defensive and offensive arms, as foreseeing what danger or duty you are like to be cast upon.' Foresee what discourse you are like to hear, and accordingly prepare yourselves: let your first preparation be to preserve yourselves from the hurt, and your next preparation to confute the evil, and convince the sinful speaker, or at least to preserve the endangered hearers, if you have ability, and opportunity. If you are to hear a seducing heretical teacher, there is one kind of preparation to be made: if you are to hear a beastly, filthy talker, there is another kind of preparation to be made. If you are to hear a cunning pharisee, or malignant enemy of godliness, reproach, or cavil, or wrangle against the Scriptures, or the ways of God, there is anther kind of preparation to be made: if you are to hear but the senseless scorns, or railings and bawling's of ignorant, profane, and sensual sots, there is another kind of preparation to be made: to give you particular directions for your preparations against every such danger would make my work too tedious. But remember how much lieth upon your own preparations or unpreparedness.
Direct. VII.'Be not sinfully wanting in good discourse yourselves, if you would not be ensnared by bad discourse from others. 'Your good discourse may prevent, or divert, or shame, or disappoint their evil discourse. Turn the stream another way; and do it wisely, that you expose not yourselves and your cause to scorn and laughter: and do it with such zeal as the cause required that you be not borne down by their greater zeal in evil. And where it is unfit for you to speak, if it may be,let your countenance or departure signify your dislike and sorrow.
Direct. VIII.Especially labor to mortify those sins, which the unavoidable discourse of your company doth most tempt you to:that where the devil doth most to hurt you, you may there do most in your own defense.' Doth the talk which you hear tend most to heresy, seduction, or to turn you from the truth? Study the more to be established in the truth: read more books for it; and hear more that is said by wise and godly men against the error which you are tempted to. Is it to profaneness or dislike of a holy life, that your company tempt you? Address yourselves the more to God, and give up yourselves to holiness, and let your study and practice be such as tend to keep your souls in relish with holiness, and hatred of sin. Is it pride that their applauding discourse doth tempt you to? Study the more the doctrine of humiliation. Is it lust that they provoke you to, or is it drunkenness, gluttony, sinful recreations, or excesses? Labour the more in the work of mortification and keep the strictest guard where they assault you.
Direct. IX. 'Be not unacquainted with the particular weaknesses and dangers of your own hearts, or any of your sinful inclinations:' that when you know where the wall is weakest, you may there make the best defense. That wanton word will set a wanton heart on fire, which a sober mind doth hear with pity as a bedlam kind of speech. A peevish, passionate heart is presently disturbed and kindled, with those words which are scarce observed by a well-composed soul.
Direct. X. 'Hear every sinful word as dictated by the devil; and suppose you saw him, all the while at the speaker's elbow, putting each word into his mouth, and telling him what to say.' For it is as verily the devil that doth suggest them all, as if you saw him: suppose you saw him behind the railer, hissing him on, as boys do dogs in fighting, and bidding him, 'Call him thus or thus:' suppose you saw him at the malignant's ear, bidding him, revile a holy life, and speak evil of the ways and servants of the Lord: suppose you saw him behind the wanton, bidding him use such ribald talk, or on the stage suggesting it to the actors; or at the ear of those that would provoke you to passion, to tell them what to say against you: this just supposition would much preserve you.
Direct. XI. 'Suppose you heard the end annexed to every speech.' As when you hear one tempting you to lust, suppose he said, 'Come, let us take our pleasures awhile, and be damned for ever:' so also in every word that tempted you to any other sin; if the tempter put in the sin, do you put in God's wrath and hell, and separate not that which God hath adjoined, but with the serpent see the sting.
Direct. XII. 'Observe when the infection first seizeth on you, and presently take an antidote to expel it, if you love your souls.' The signs of infection are,
1. When your zeal abates, and you grow more indifferent what you hear.
2. Next you will feel some little inclination to it.
3. Next you will a little venture upon an imitation.
4. And lastly, you will come to a full consent, and so to ruin. If you feel but a remitting of your dislike and hatred, or any filth or tincture left on your thoughts and fantasy, go presently and shake them off; bewail it to God in true repentance, and wash your souls in the blood of Christ, and cast up the poison by holy resolutions, and sweat out the remnant by the fervent exercises of love and holiness.